AC Milan Sign Gianluca Lapadula

byDavidonJune 25, 2016

AC Milan have officially signed last season’s star Serie B striker Gianluca Lapadula for a reported €9 million, beating Napoli and Juventus. The signature marks a dramatic rise for Lapadula who was playing in Italy’s third division just two years ago, scoring 21 goals for Teramo.

The 26-year-old set the secondary Italian championship ablaze with 30 goals in 44 games last season. A transfer seemed a near-certainty and after two weeks of transfer rumours, speculation, offers and more than one ultimatum, Lapadula opted for what’s probably the biggest club that can offer him a starter’s place.

The Rossoneri confirmed the signing with an official statement on their site.

“Welcome Gianluca!” says the statement.

“All Rossoneri hope that Gianluca can have the most beautiful satisfaction of his career with us, and it’s with this spirit and enthusiasm that the player has signed with Milan until June 30, 2021.”

The striker arrived in Milan for a medical on Friday morning, announcing that a dream was coming true.

“I strongly wanted to join Milan,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“The negotiations were lightning fast. I’d like to thank [Milan’s general manager Adriano] Galliani and the president [Silvio] Berlusconi for their faith, and I wish the president a speedy recovery [from heart surgery].”